Family ties dog Kilpatrick's reelection

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In Washington, Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-Mich.) is best known as the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus. But back home in Detroit, she is increasingly targeted as the mother and steadfast defender of scandal-plagued Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick — and it’s jeopardizing her prospects for returning to Washington next year.

Kilpatrick is facing two credible rivals in the Aug. 5 primary: state Sen. Martha Scott and former state Rep. Mary Waters — and Waters has made the congresswoman’s family ties a key theme of her campaign, potentially changing the narrative of the race.

Kilpatrick, sensing her vulnerability, has been calling in reinforcements from Democratic leaders in Washington. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) recently made visits — though Pelosi arrived in Detroit last Friday, just as the local papers headlined allegations that the mayor had assaulted a sheriff’s deputy, the latest in an ongoing string of embarrassments for City Hall.

In a scandal that has consumed the city, Kwame Kilpatrick is facing eight felony counts for lying under oath about engaging in an extramarital relationship with his chief of staff, Christine Beatty. The perjury charges stem from a 2007 trial in which a jury ruled that Kilpatrick unfairly dismissed two city employees who were investigating him.

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“How do you think Pelosi feels, riding into Detroit and reading the headlines talking about [Kwame] Kilpatrick assaulting a deputy sheriff?” asked Detroit political consultant Sam Riddle, who is working for Waters. “I don’t think the Democratic leadership in Washington understands the dynamics of what’s happening here. When [Pelosi] returns to Washington, she’ll go back and say, ‘Damn, what have I gotten myself into?’”

Waters is seen by Detroit political analysts as Kilpatrick’s bigger threat. A former Democratic floor leader in the state Legislature, she currently works for Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, who is handling the case against the mayor.

Waters gained attention when she aired a television ad (produced by Riddle) featuring footage of Kilpatrick angrily defending her son at a 2005 rally for his reelection. The ad got more viral distribution on YouTube and on the local television news than it did as a paid political spot.

In the clip, Kilpatrick tells black voters to protect her son while the ad lists the mayor’s eight felony counts. “Too many people died for us. We’re here to fight. That’s what I’m talking about,” Kilpatrick says in the video.

The ad concludes with a narrator saying: “Sorry, Congress­woman, but we deserve much better.”

The tension between Kilpatrick and Waters has only grown since the ad went up. At a televised debate on WDIV-TV this month, Waters criticized Kilpatrick for “injecting herself” into the scandal surrounding her son. She later told Kilpatrick that anyone elected to Congress can bring federal funds home to the district. In response, Kilpatrick shot back: “Girl, please, you can’t even carry my bra!”

In contrast to Waters, Scott hasn’t highlighted the mayor’s behavior in her campaign, though she has sent out one mailer referencing the family connection. She says she decided to run because she was encouraged to by her state Senate constituents. But she faces one pesky problem: She doesn’t live in the congressional district.

If Michigan Dem's had any brains they'd have put that idiot mayor in jail where he belongs long ago. But then now that they have held him up for so long, it is time for those that supported him throughout his riegn, to feel the heat as well. Hopefully the people of Detroit and Michigan will rise up and tell the morons where to go.

Rep. Kirkpatrick was on the Sub Committee of the House Approriations Committee(Rep David Obey) and ..the Department of Security Committee DHS sub committee.( David Price) .meeting in secret., that ...killed the ONE Bill that enabled ICE to train USA police people to assist in Immigration Law Enforcement. The program was ..small, inexpensive.and .WORKED EXCEEDINGLY WELL.

SO WELL THAT EVERY DEMOCRATIC MEMBER OF THAT HOUSE COMMITTEE...KILLED IT BY NOT FUNDING IT. Then THEY CRAFTED A LONG BILL....to hide what they did.... IN SECRET. and so they denied doing the dirty deed....until Citizen Groups searched the long, long bill and found....NO MONEY FOR ICE TO TRAIN POLICE.

She is just another member of the Hispanic Caucus. She needs to be gone. Gone. For the sake of Black people in the USA...Black policemen and women....black ICE agents....whose lives are on the line everyday. AND MORE of the Black leadership with her. She and the other Black Caucus Members ...who are in bed poltically with The Hispanic Caucus...and includes OBAMA.THEY KNOW THAT ..Illegal Aliens hurt Black citizens more than any other group...legal Hispanics are second in being hurt...economically and physically.

Wayne County Prosecutor, Kym Worthy, would be a great candidate to run for Mayor of Detroit. A former judge and Assistant Prosecutor, she's smart and a long time public servant. Notice the word "servant" in my statement and not leader. Until African-Americans choose public officials on the "service" model and not "leaders", then, and only then will those chosen will be accountable. Mr. Kilpatrick, as of yet, has not been held accountable by the people; only the court system has. Ms. Worthy has a stellar public image and is a stalwart in the courts and in the front of the media. Mr Kilpatrick on the other hand, seems to lacks a command of basic english and has yet to exercise good judement. This fella is a joke of tragic proportions and it's evidence by the continued poor state of the city proper, it's finances and it's image around the nation. I'm not sure who or what Ms. Cheeks-Kilpatrick record of service is or whether she has one, but her son hasn't helped image. Mr. Kilpatrick has sense of entitlement,of which I fear might be home-grown, like that of a monarch, and is forcing the people of Detroit to continue its tight and quickening spiral towards doom. Please, Mr. Kilpatrick, quit while they're behind.

You are right. She is just so impressive. And the threats this family has hurled at her.....The way they have tried to intimidate her....and I mean.....she just gave it right back to them..............She is the New Black Politican...Smart as anything...honest...dedicated...................

I mean she is impressive. She should be in congress. Why does she not run?

And people forget what Mayor Kilpatrick did....He had an affair with his Chief Aid...then denied it to the Grand Jury. Then when e-mails that were smoking hot between the two surfaced....he said Tough. I 'm still not resigning. Now this man has an innocent wife and children...who have lived through his public melt down.......but his intimidation of Official public servants...His threats...

I thought only Rep. Luis Guiterrez and Rep. Zoe Loftgren were allowed to do that to USA Citizens who work for ICE or any law enforcement agency.

Apparently..................it is a growing trend. Now if we could get the ear of the Hispanic staffers Bush lets run the USA...maybe it would be different..............naw...................it wouldn't be any different. They are the reason for the Chaos...planned or unplanned.

WOW!!!!! I just watched that You Tube video of Rep. Cheeks-Kilpatrick. DAMMIT.....what a ****in' embarrasment. No wonder her son is so damn screwed up. Maybe she should serve what ever sentence he gets because that rally explains a whole mess. This woman is beyond getto.....YALLZ BOY!!!? What a national same that this lady walks the halls of power, tripping over her own stupidity. And the ineffective Congressional Black Caucus should be ashamed of themselves letting this....mess..sit as its Chair. Is it any freakin' wonder, with "leaders" like the Kilpatricks/Cheeks, why black people are living in turmoil? What did she mean by "people died for us"?

I have to say that I've seem better poise at a burning crackhouse in the middle of a icestorm in February. Rep. Cheeks-Kilpatrick is a library of racial stereotypes. DAuuuuum, woman. You need to quit, too.

Ridgeback...His mother is classless and an obvious influence on her son. Both are selfish, rude and going by her rally speech for his re-election, unaccountable. The people of Detroit shouldn't have voted him back into office, that said, he had a second chance and he blew it. With the fiscal mess that city is in, the constant failure of the Mayor's office to scope out corruption in the city council, let alone his own office, and the wasted opportunity to change things for the better, her support for him is treasonous to the ood people of Detroit. He can stay her boy if she wants, but the city needs a real mayor to help it out of it's duldrums.

Mayor Kilpatrick big mistake was his poor relationship with the press. That's how all this text message stuff started with the Free Press. I here he does not listen either, somebody surly told him not to fire but reassign those police officers. all

So then his press relations weren't the only problem, Ridge. Firing cops and then paying them more than the suit required in court in order to shut them up about the text messages isn't just bad judgement, it's out-and-out stupidity. For some reason he didn't realize that criminal and civil court proceedings in the State of Michigan, with the exception of Juvinile, Family and sex cases, must, by law, be released to the public. [Freedom of Information} Well....That's Kwame! Had he known that, he could've saved the city millions. This isn't even corruption....its grade A - jack-assed-ness!!!!

Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick is a do nothing congresswoman, she hasn't passed any bills that were meaningful to her district in her twelve years in congress. Her THUGGIST son Kwame M. Kilpatrick is an idiot just like his mother Congresswoman Carolyn Kilpatrick, his father Bernard Kilpatrick who is under FBI investigation for corruption, the FBI just revealed that they had his home and cell phone tapped for a year. And his sister BIG BIRD AYANNA KILPATRICK. She has defended her son on everything he has did in Detroit. The City of Detroit has turned into a KLEPTOCRACY in the seven years her son has been in office. He and his family and friends have stole and have gotten kick backs from contractors since they have been office.... The congress woman I have been told is suffering from cancer that is why she is wearing a wig now. The stress she is under from her own political race and now the gover of Michigan has stepped up the hearings to remove her thug son from office.

Typical of bad, black leadership. Detroit, a city 81.6 black has one the nation's worst graduation rates. What has Mr. Kilpatrick done to change this while in office? I bet that rate has increase under his charge...those poor children. Not an answer to their needs.

Are you kidding me, Ridge....? Don't like biased press? Is that an answer to the gross problem that city faces? Hell...let's just call it like it is, Ridge....those who voted for him was either, too loyal, family, friends....or stupid. That man is a self-manifeasted problem. You guy will never get better until we....WE...make better choices. Freak the BIASED press....that man's a criminal and well before this sex scandal thing. But I guess the people is going to show the press who's in charge. The WHITE MAN BEHIND TYPE WRITER ISN"T THE ONLY PROBLEM IN DETROIT! DAMN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!IT.

Congresswoman Kilpatrick and her son was advised not to attend any of Barack Obama events each time he has come to Michigan..... WHAT SANE BUSINESS PERSON, POLITICIAN IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD FLY OVER THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE OF DETROIT. Her son Kwame Kilpatrick has a executive protection consisting of Detroit Police officers but they act like the TON TON MACOUTE (A BAND OF THUGS) Since her son has been mayor of Detroit the entire middle class has left the city for the sorrunding suburbs. Detroit is a third world city lawless city. Look at the neighborhoods they all look like one big ghetto. It is time for Carolyn Kilpatrick, Kwame Kilpatrick and all of their friends and family to pack up and go back to the ghetto on LaSalle where they crawled out of...